Court Allows Work at Par 3 Golf Course in Yorktown to Continue
A state Supreme Court justice has rejected a request from the former developer of the Par 3 golf course in Jefferson Valley to halt the renovation work while a lawsuit is pending.
In a May 17 ruling, Justice Charles D. Wood denied RC Recreation Development’s request to impede the ongoing work at the town-owned facility, which is expected to open in mid-August.
“RC has not established a likelihood of success on the merits, as the record appears to substantiate that there were [contractual] violations on the part of RC,” Wood wrote in his decision.
RC filed an Article 78 proceeding in state Supreme Court last July accusing town officials of using a “Keystone Cops approach to local zoning enforcement” and engaging in a “politically motivated campaign.” RC specifically named former Supervisor Matt Slater, Councilman Sergio Esposito and Building Inspector John Landi.
In the lawsuit, RC maintained the redevelopment of the course has “from time to time been delayed by external and unanticipated factors, be they insect infestations, COVID-19-related shutdowns, and supply chain disruptions.”
“The Town Board is confident that we will prevail in this bogus lawsuit,” said Yorktown Supervisor Tom Diana. “RC Development’s failure to deliver is clear and we are optimistic that the court will decide this lawsuit in our favor.”
In February, the Town Board voted to grant a five-year concession agreement to Yorktown Golf Group, Inc. with a firm reopening date of June 16 for the restaurant and August 18 for the golf course. If Yorktown Golf Group fails to meet the opening dates, the agreement will be considered breached.
Yorktown Golf Group, Inc. will pay Yorktown $78,000 a year. The town has the right to renew the contract for two five-year periods. The contract calls for discounts for residents, seniors and veterans, and donated course time for high school golf teams.
Last November, the Town Board officially severed ties with RC Recreation Development, LLC, for failing to correct numerous building code violations and not opening the facility as promised.
The action came as no surprise since the board voted two months earlier to terminate a Concession Agreement with RC Recreation if it was unable to clear up outstanding violations and expired mechanical, plumbing and renovation permits, and open the town-owned park by Nov. 15.
On Nov. 15, town inspectors visited the golf course and found electrical hazards and many unresolved violations cited in July, including people illegally living in trailers, unsafe bridges, and plumbing issues. Parks Superintendent James Martorano told the Town Board some of the recent shoddy work at the nine-hole golf course included laying the sod on the golf greens before installing the irrigation system, which sits unassembled on the property.
The property has not been used since 2007 when Shallow Greek Golf Course shut down. In 2014, town officials entered into a 10-year agreement with RC Recreation to restore the site as Valley Fields Golf Course, but progress stalled when RC President Rocco Cambareri died in 2017.
In 2018, the lease with RC was extended to 2028 when one of Cambareri’s partners assumed control. In 2020, Valley Fields was fined by the state for doing work without a required permit. A 2021 spring or summer possible opening never materialized. In December 2021, the town’s Planning Board approved the site plan for Valley Fields.
RC Recreation President Larry Nussbaum did not respond to an email seeking comment on the state Supreme Court judge’s recent ruling.
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